Pandit chitresh das biography of christopher miller

Pandit Das was first and foremost a master and virtuosic performer of the classical kathak tradition.

An important modern exponent of Asian dance, Pandit Chitresh Das brought kathak to the United States in The North Indian classical dance has since become.

A child prodigy trained from the age of nine by his guru, Pandit Ram Narayan Mishra, Pandit Das was schooled in the two major kathak traditions. His performing career was launched in India when he was invited by Pandit Ravi Shankar to perform in the first Rimpa Festival in Benaras. In he was brought to the United States on a Whitney Fellowship to teach kathak at the University of Maryland and to learn modern dance.

IJS has toured India seven times including U. State Department funded India tour , Australia and the U. Upaj: Improvise, a film documenting their collaboration has screened at numerous film festivals internationally in , including its U. In he was honored by the Governor of West Bengal for his artistic commitment to kathak and Indian classical arts in India and around the world.

Das not only effectively established an awareness and appreciation of kathak in this country, he simultaneously preserved the deepest of the kathak tradition—the traditional solo—while simultaneously constantly pushing the envelope of the art form through innovative works and collaborations. Das' commitment to training and empowering the next generation has left a legacy of hundreds of students who have trained directly under him, and many more who are continuing to learn from his disciples.

An uncompromising and tireless advocate for the art of kathak, Das' integrity, seva service , and a wicked sense of humor has made him a profound Guru whose gift lives on in those he touched.